Carriage Drivers, Cattlemen Share Animal Welfare Concerns

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Palmetto Carriage Works entertains more than 100,000 tourists each year on an hour-long tour of the historic port city of Charleston, SC. Though it operates in the heart of the city, Palmetto's owners share some of the same concerns as cattle producers when it comes to animal welfare and public perception.

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Cattle producers, would your animal-handling practices pass muster if you operated fully in an urban downtown environment with an open-door policy to the public? That hypothetical scenario is a reality for the extended Doyle family, which owns and operates Palmetto Carriage Works in Charleston, SC.

Tommy Doyle heads up the number-one carriage horse company in Charleston, a town boasting the world’s largest ridership of commercial carriages. He recently provided his insights on animal handling and public relations to an audience of cattle producers attending the third annual 4C Summit in Charleston.

The 4C Summit stands for: meeting Challenges, making Connections, establishing Collaboration, and empowering Commitment. It’s a collaborative educational program between Elanco Animal Health and MicroBeef Technologies designed to acquaint their customers with leadership challenges, techniques and lessons used in other industries.

A throwback to yesteryear

Horse-drawn carriages were the dominant mode of transportation 100 years ago, back when virtually everyone understood first-hand, and appreciated, the concept of animals and humans working together. Today, of course, carriage rides are a nostalgic throwback available in the tourist areas of many U.S. cities – a leisurely way to see and learn about the local history. Such locales, however, can also serve as flashpoints for animal activists who see any use of animals as exploitative.

“One thing my business and yours has in common is animal activists. I confront them face to face every day. The way I do my business is out in the public. Our barn is open to the public; they can come in with a camera. I'll even take the picture for them under some circumstances,” Doyle jokes.

Palmetto Carriage Works stables 50 horses and mules in a facility called the Big Red Barn, which is located in the heart of Charleston’s historic Market area. All of Palmetto Carriage Works’ tours start and end there, and the facility is a tourist attraction in its own right, serving as a showcase for the operation’s animal treatment. It even features a 24-hour live cam accessible on the Internet.

The animals pull a fleet of carriages that carry more than 100,000 tourists each year on an hour-long tour of this historic southern port city. “Our business model is built around people and animals working together to benefit both. And the customers recognize and appreciate that,” Doyle says. “We work to be proactive rather than reactive.”

By proactive, Doyle means having a well-trained staff, a high level of attention to public relations, and an open and transparent operation. It also means being an active booster of the community, and advocating for your business on the local and national levels, Doyle says.

“We employ over 100 people in the peak of our season. The fees we paid the city last year added $175,752 to the city coffers. Our hay bill last year was $44,000, $37,000 for feed, $45,000 in wood shavings for stall bedding, and $50,000 to keep shoes on our animals' feet. That $50,000 is the cost of putting them on, not the shoes themselves. All of this is bought within the Charleston and South Carolina economy. That's our economic impact,” Doyle says.

Doyle serves on the boards for the Carriage Operators of North America and the South Carolina Horse Council (SCHC). “I'm not a rider, but I am part of the horse community. Participation gives me the opportunity to spread our message among the horse people in the state,” Doyle says.

He also serves on the board for the local horse rescue organization. In addition, Palmetto Carriage Works donates the time of one employee for five hours each week to the horse rescue effort. Doyle says the gesture is a worthwhile effort, plus it builds amity within the local horse community.

Editor response: I wouldn't put much credence in New York standards, and it would be interesting to know how New York City set its threshold at 90 degrees. A city with a mayor who decries and outlaws soft drinks over 16 oz., but then heartily promotes a contest in which contestants try to stuff themselves with as many coney dogs as possible in a given amount of time doesn't foster a lot of confidence in reasoned thinking to me.

Palmetto Carriage Works’ draft animals work five-hour days, with 15 minutes off each hour, and work a total of 31 weeks/year; that does not sound abusive to me. Plus, these carriage tours are at a very leisurely walking pace; it is not Pony Express stuff.

I don’t know what the magic temperature is, but I think Palmetto is careful and thoughtful in setting its threshold. I have worked outdoors in very strenuous labor a lot in my life -- particularly in my younger days -- and we were not invited to take the day off when the temperature hit 98 degrees, much less 90 degrees.

Responsible folks who work with, and understand, animals can tell when an animal is getting stressed; they don't need an arbitrary threshold. I do think, however, that Palmetto Carriage Works is wise to have such a policy.

What makes you an expert - city person you are -- that 98 degrees is "too hot?" Did you know horses sleep standing up? Humans can't sleep standing up, but maybe you should campaign to force horses to lie down when they sleep. After all, that's can't possibly be comfortable for them. That makes as much sense as saying 98 degrees is too hot, when you don't have any particular knowledge on the subject. As the writer says above, "responsible folks who work with, and understand, animals can tell when an animal is getting stressed." I'll rely on folks who work with animals than some well-intentioned do gooder who doesn' know what she's talking about.